A DRAMATIC beach-front standoff ended after more than eight hours last night, when a veiled woman feared carrying explosives was finally detained.

Police today confirmed the woman, 40, has been released into the care of her family and medical professionals after being assessed at Redcar police station.

Armed police swept on the lower promenade at Saltburn, close to the pier and nearby amusements, shortly after 11am yesterday, concerned for the welfare of a woman believed to be carrying "suspicious items".

Businesses were evacuated as bomb disposal teams and trained negotiators attended the scene.

Emergency services, including fire crews, a police helicopter and paramedics remained on the scene until just after 7.20pm, when the woman is understood to have given herself up.

Police initially told diners at Saltburn’s Sea View Restaurant that they could finish their meals as yesterday’s drama began - although it was advised they get to safety.

But two minutes later, those eating at the venue were told they must leave immediately.

Businesses close to the town’s pier - including fish and chip shops, restaurants and ice cream sellers, as well as workers renovating a nearby amusement arcade - had been evacuated.

Alice Frost, from Saltburn, described the moment she realised she was just feet away from an armed police incident involving a woman who was believed to be carrying explosives.

The 20-year-old was evacuated from the Sea View Restaurant where she works and told the Gazette: “My car was on one side of the woman and another girl’s car was on the other side and she was laid on the floor.

“She’s a local woman and goes round in what looks like a burka with her feet wrapped in rags and bandages. I’m just concerned about my car.”

Alice added before the evacuation lots of people were gathering in and around the restaurant asking staff what was happening.

“We didn’t know at first,” she said. “One policeman came into the restaurant and told people, ‘you can sit here and eat your food, but we advise you leave because it’s for your own safety’.

“Most people said ‘we will sit and eat’. But two minutes later another man came and said everyone had to go now.”

Will Murray, 31, and John Scott, 52, from Newcastle, were working on the renovation of the pier-side arcade at the time.

Will, of Just Signs and Lighting, said: “We were working away and John saw the police and thought they were going to give us a ticket.

“I turned around and saw loads of police come running with guns and dogs.

“The woman was sitting in a shelter just a little bit further along from us and they got her to come out and take a backpack off.

“They were saying ‘lay on the ground’. She did and put her hands up. Over an hour to an hour-and-a-half, they got her to move away from the bag.”

Grant Seldon, from Sunderland, the new owner of the arcade, became aware of the incident shortly after noon and was still waiting to return home after 6pm.

“My car is down there,” he said at the time. “We didn’t expect it to be going on this long.”

A 23-year-old Skelton woman from the Surf’s Up Cafe also described being evacuated.

“We saw the police van go past, then they just came in and said we all had to get out,” she said.

“They said there was an incident and there was nothing to worry about but that we all had to leave straight away. that was about 1pm.”

Another family, who wished to remain nameless had been eating in a cafe close to the beach.

“We had just got our food and a policeman came in”, she said.

“He told us we needed to evacuate straight away and if we had a car in the car park to move it.

“We couldn’t believe it.”

Another couple said they saw armed officers surrounding the public toilets and what looked like a body was on the ground.

Eyewitness Philip Barnes saw the drama unfold.

The 28-year-old from Saltburn had been walking his dog and managed to grab some photographs of the armed police operation.

“We just went out walking the dog but we didn’t get down to the front,” he said.

“The seafront was completely shut.”

Anthony Weeks, owner of Vista Mar, where local and national media gathered to cover the events as they unfolded, had to close the bar and restaurant early and get a police escort away from the premises, as Saltburn Bank remained cordoned off.

He described the idea of a woman carrying explosives in the usually sleepy seaside town of Saltburn as “frightening”.

“If that’s correct, it’s frightening, especially in this country in sleepy Saltburn,” he said.